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E. S. VOTEY.

PIANISSIMO DEVICE FOR PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.23| 1916.

Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

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2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN SCOTT VOTEY, 0F SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 THE AEOLIAN COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F CONNECTICUT.

PIANISSIMO DEVICE FOR PIANOS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Allg. 12, 1919.

Application filed August 23, 1916. Serial No. 116,488.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN S. Vo'riir, a citizen of the United States, residing at Summit, New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pianissimo Devices for Pianos, of which the following is a specification. l

My present invention relates to a novel combinati-on of means in a piano-action for advancing the hammers to the strings for softer playing and for correspondingly taking up the lost motion thereby produced in the hammer-action. Further this is accomplished in an automatic piano without collapsing the striker pneumatics which by remaining open, are at the best advantage to do their work rapidlyV and effectively whatever may be the position of the hammer rest-rail. .The full features and advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from an understanding of the following description in connection with the drawings. Y

These show only one of the specific embodiments my improvements may take, these being conveniently illustrated in connection with a grand piano action. Further they illustrate my improvements in connection with only one hammer action, it being understood that all the other hammer-actions are resent.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a grand piano action embodying my improvements, the parts being shown positioned with the hammer rest-rail in its lowermost position; Fig. 2 is the same except that the parts are shown as positioned when the rail has advanced the hammers toward the strings.

Describing now the specific devices of the drawings :-1 is the key-bed, 2 is a pianokey pivotally supported on the pin 3, 4 is the capstan screw in the rear-end of the key; 5 is a piano-string; 6 its damper; 7 is the damper operating mdchanism, of which no detailed description need be given. because it forms no part of my present invention. 8

and 9 are stationary front and back actionrails respectively. The hammer-action may be of any usual or preferred form.,l that shown may therefore be briey described as comprising ay hammer 10 pivoted to the front action rail, wippen 11 pivotedv at 12 to the rear action rail, also the usual jack 13, re-t peating lever 1.4, iaekabtment 1.5, feltf roller 16 on the shank of the hammer for engagement with the end of the jack, etc.

'Coming now more specifically to my own improvements :-17 is a, hammer rest-rail extending under lthe shanks of the hammers, said rail having a forwardly extending-arm 18 at each end whose free ends are pivoted at 18a to the front action rail. 19 is a short rearwardly extending arm from each end of the rest-rail pivotally connected to a depending link 20, the lower .ends of said links being connected by a cross-rod 21 running parallel with the rest-rail. 22 is a link, one at each end, which pivotally connects said crossrod 21 with the key-bed.- Thus the described system of arms and links form a means by which the resterail 17 may be raised and lowered to adjust the hammers suitably to the strings by pushing or pulling, as the case may be, on the rod 23 to swing the bell-crank 24: about its pivotal support 25 so that its toe 26 in contact with the cross-rod 21 lifts the rest-rail andhanuners or reversely permits them to fall back away from the strings. Only the rear end of the operating rod 23 is shown, the forward end being supposed to come out to the front of the instrument for convenient operation by the player of the instrument.

When the rest-rail is raised, the lost mo-v tion between the jacks 13 and the felt rollers 16 on the hammers is taken up by means as follows :-27 is a horizontal rail supported for vertical reciprocation on the face of the action-rail 9 and resting on the above described links 22. A plurality of compression-springs 28 keep the rail 27 depressed against the tops of the links 22. 29 is a lever, which for convenience may be called a transmitting lever, one for each wippen 11, operatively connected by its middle portion to its wippen by a link 30. The rear ends of all the transmitting levers are pivotally supported at 29a on flanges secured to and car-A button 33 on the transmitting lever. 34 is a stop preventing the weight of the hammer action from opening the striker pneumatics beyond their normallyA open operating position.

The descri-'bed mechanism takes up the lost motion in the hammer-action when the hammer rest-rail is raised and does this without introducing any lost motion between the striker `pneumatics and the transmitting levers as follows :--Thus comparing Fig. 2 with Fig. l, the former showing the rest-rail advanced, it will be seen that the links 22 have also raised the rail 27 which in turn has lifted the rear ends of the transmitting levers 29, which swing upwardly about their forward ends resting on and remaining in undisturbed relationship with the extensions 32 on the movable boards of the striker-pneumatics. Finally through the links 30; this u-pward adjustment of the transmitting levers lifts correspondingly the wippens 11 and jacks 13 to keep the ends of the latter in operating contact with the felt rolls 16 on the hammers and otherwise eliminates any lost moti-on in the hammeractions in spite of the advancement of the hammers toward the strings. Striker pneu matics are most sensitive and positive in their action` when acting from their fully open operating position to a partially or half-way closed position. Thus by my improvements, said pneumatics are always acting under their best working condition regardless of the adjustment of the rest-rail.

What I claim is 1. In combination with the actions of a Y piano, each comprising ahammer, a jack and a wippen; a transmitting lever for each action operatively rel-ated to its' wippen; striker pneumatics operatively related to and supporting the forward ends of the respective transmittting levers; and means which adjusts the distance of the hammers from the strings and correspondingly adjusts the rear ends of the transmitting levers to take-up the lost motion in the actions. y

2. In combination with the actions of a piano, each comprising a hammer, a jack and a wippen; a transmitting lever for each action operatively related to its wippen; striker' pneumatics operatively related to and supporting the forward ends of the respective transmitting levers; means which adjusts the distance of the hammers from the strings and correspondingly adjusts the rear ends of the transmitting levers to take- .up the lost motion in the actions, and a link connection between each transmitting lever vand its wippen by which they are operatively related as aforesaid. y

.3.' In combination with the actions of a piano, each comprising aham'mer', a jack and a wippen; a transmitting lever' for each action 'operatively related to its wippen striker pneumatics operatively related to and supporting the forward ends of the respective transmitting levers; means which adjusts the distance of the hammers from the strings `and correspondingly adjusts the rear `ends of the transmitting levers to takeup the lost motion in the actions, and a link connection between each transmitting lever and its wippen by which they are operatively related as aforesaid, said link being located at the middle portion of the transmitting lever.

t. In combination with the actions of a piano, each comprising a hammer, a jack and a wippen; a transmitting lever for each action operatively related to its wippen; `striker pnuematics operatively related to and supporting the forward ends of the respective transmitting levers; means which adjusts the distance 'olf the hammers from the strings and correspondingly `.adjusts the rear ends of the transmitting levers to takeup the lost motion in the actions, a link connection between each transmitting lever and its wippen by which they are operatively related as aforesaid, said link being located at the middle portion of the transmitting lever; and piano-keys arranged to attack the underside of the transmitting levers in front of their connection with said. links.

5. In combination with the actions of a piano, each comprising a hammer, a jack and a wippen; a transmitting lever for each action operatively related to its wippen; Strickerv pneumatics operatively related to and supporting the forward ends of the respective transmitting levers; means which adjusts the distance of the hammers from the strings and correspondingly adjusts the rear ends of the transmittinglevers 'to takeup the lost motion in the actions; and stop means preventing the weight of the actions on the striker-pneumatics from opening them beyond their normally open, operating position.

6. In combination with the actions of a piano, each comprising a hammer, a jack and a wippen; a transmitting lever for each action extending under and in the same direction as its wippen; a link for each action connecting its wippen with the middle portion of its transmitting lever; a horizontal rail extending transversely under the actions, said rail pivotally supporting the rear-ends of all of the transmitting levers; a pivotally supported rearwardly extending arm upon which said rail rests; striker-` pneumatics operating on the front ends of the transmitting levers; means for yieldingly pressing said, rail downwardly; means for lifting said rail-supporting arm; a hammer rest-rail; and an operating connection between said supporting Yarm and the hammer rest-rail raises and lowersjthe rest-rail from the raising and lowering of said. arm.

7. In combination with the actions of a piano; eaoli Comprising a hammer, a jack and a Wippen; a transmitting lever for each action extending under and in the saame direotion as its wippen; a link for each action' connecting its wippen with the middle p0rtion of its ltmnsmitting lever; a horizontal rail extending transversely under the actions, said rail pivotally supporting the rear-ends of all of the transmitting levers; a pivotally supported rearwardly extending arm upon which said rail rests; striker-pnuematics operating on the front ends of the transmitting levers; means for yieldingly pressing said rail downwardly; means for lifting said rail-supporting arm; a link extending upwardly from said rail-supporting arm, said link being pivotally comieeted at its upper end with the hammer rest-rail; and said operatively supported hammer rest-rail.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification this 22d day of August, 1916.

EDWIN SCOTT VOTEY.

Copies o! this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

